There is potential for US President Donald Trump to work with China on public goods such as the global environment and many other issues of non-detrimental common interests. Job creation may be an important link between the first and second largest economies in the world.

US President Donald Trump may play the “Russian card” against China like how Nixon played the “Chinese card” against Moscow in 1972. However, the triangular relationship between the US, Russia and China is not necessarily comparable to the one in the 1970s.

In the run-up to Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States, advocates of a more aggressive US foreign policy towards China unleashed a barrage of hawkish commentaries and proposals. Most comments focused on China’s behavior in the South China Sea.

On January 11, 2017, US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made several intemperate remarks. Most provocatively he said that China’s access to the features it has built up in the South China Sea is not going to be “allowed.”

US President-elect Donald Trump might meet Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen on her stopover visit to the US close to his inauguration. It seems that the price of Taiwan is going higher and higher, yet could Trump really get what he wants in the bargain?

It appears that US President Barack Obama has implemented, or at least has not opposed or sought to block, legislation to birdcage President-elect Donald Trump on future relations with China. He has “arranged” difficulties for Trump’s future attempts to get along with Beijing.

The call between Tsai and Trump has shattered the status quo. If Trump and his advisors still choose to not to understand China’s mind and heart, Beijing may have no choice but, for example, to establish diplomatic relations with those 21 countries which still support Taipei.

Asia watchers are anxiously awaiting US President-elect Donald Trump’s first actions after his inauguration, in particular whether he will carry out his threat of designating China as a currency manipulator. Such a designation will allow US to institute punitive tariffs on Chinese imports.